Pennsylvania Online High Schools

CV pays more than $8,000 for each district student that enrolls in a private cyber school. But it costs the district only about $3,700 for each student enrolled in the CV Virtual Academy.

For the coming school year, CV expects 75 students to be enrolled in cyber schools, with 18 in the district’s own program.

The 57 students in other cyber schools are projected to cost the district $462,325, which CV must pay to the programs.

If the district can recruit more students into its own cyber school, the savings could be significant.

For the rest of the article, go to Conestoga Valley School District to hire charter school recruiter

BELLEFONTE — Last June, Bellefonte administrators told school board members that creating an online cyber school could save the district about $40,000, provided the program drew at least 10 students away from charter schools.

It didn’t. Instead, in the program’s first year, the district spent $57,578, mostly for tuition and hardware costs, according to a report presented Tuesday night by curriculum and instruction director Cathy Brachbill.

Bellefonte’s online program attracted 17 full-time and eight part-time students — but only two had previously been attending a cyber charter school.

“It was a learning process for us,” Brachbill told the school board, adding, “We had some real successes, and we have had some real challenges.”

Bellefonte’s struggles show the difficulty schools can face when they compete with established cyber charter schools — something districts have been working harder at in recent years. Bald Eagle Area, Philipsburg- Osceola and Penns Valley have all created their own cyber programs, and State College officials have discussed the idea.

For the rest of the article, go to Bellefonte examines online program

The latest book on Stephen Catanzarite’s reading list is “Return to the Little Kingdom,” about the mad geniuses who launched Apple Computer 30 years ago.

“The irony is that I’m reading it on my iPad, so I know how the story ends,” Mr. Catanzarite said.

His own story, meanwhile, is following a similar arc, though the ending is not as clear.

Mr. Catanzarite is managing director of the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School in Midland, one of several spinoffs from the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, which was founded in Midland.

But somehow his name pops up in connection with every new idea to emerge from the Midland educational empire.

For the rest of the article, go to A newsmaker you should know: Catanzarite behind new ideas at PA Cyber school

Steel Valley School District is starting its own year-round cyber school in the fall for high school students.

Cyber students will be managed by a certified teaching staff provided by an outside company, which also will provide technological support.

The curriculum will include math, English, social studies, science and various electives with 45 total classes offered as both a semester and full-year option.

For the rest of the article, go to Steel Valley to start year-round cyber school in the fall